Come join a thriving community of outdoor therapy professionals where we will explore, share, develop, and deepen perspectives across diverse practices of outdoor, nature and adventure-based therapies.
The national conference of the Association for Outdoor Therapy will explore perspectives in the development and application of integrated outdoor therapy practices, that will help to examine different professional landscapes influencing the developments of ethical outdoor therapy practices and the building of a professional outdoor therapy community in the UK.
With a diverse range of presentation topics across a wide range of outdoor workshops in nature, indoor presentations, and main speaker session topics, this is an exciting opportunity to engage, network, reflect and learn with like-minded professionals, in developing understanding and sharing practice, and contributing to the shaping of future developments of outdoor therapy in the UK.
Main Session Speakers Include:
Professor Hannah Sherbersky
A Family and Systemic Psychotherapist, Associate Professor at the University of Exeter and CEO of the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice, UK. She is Deputy Director of PGT Taught Programmes (CEDAR) and Director of the Systemic Portfolio at the University of Exeter and works clinically as a psychotherapist and supervisor.
William Berisch Secretan
A person-centred wilderness therapist, dramatherapist, psychodrama psychotherapist & environmental arts therapist. He works for North London NHS Foundation Trust as Psychology Lead & Clinical Lead for Group Psychotherapy in Haringey, is managing director of the School of Environmental Arts Therapy (SEAT) and was the founder of the NHS Ecopsychology Network.
Avril Leonard
Clinical Practice Manager & Outdoor Therapist for Venture Trust, Scotland, UK. She oversees Venture Trusts unique Outdoor Therapy Service, delivering 1-to-1 therapy in accessible outdoor and wild spaces for those who may struggle to access traditional counselling services.
A range of outdoor based workshop sessions that will provide experiential nature-based workshops (mainly 2 hr sessions).
Outdoor based workshops currently include:
- Using the DBT model of mindfulness to deepen experiences in nature
Dr David Fong, Clinical Psychologist. - Micro-Adventure Therapy, how wild does wilderness therapy need to be?
Luke Blackham, Wild N’ Well Outdoors. - A story of relationship: growing with a long-term nature-wellbeing community
Jenny Archard, Neroche Woodlanders Limited. - Relational Roots: Cultivating Nature's Relational Power in Therapy
Dr Abi Tarran Jones & Dr Robynne Wadsworth, WildCATs & The Outdoor Psychologist Ltd. - Organic Noticing; Self-Disclosure and Empathetic Attunement in Outdoor Therapy
Julia Sands, Ipse Wilderness. - Meditation Through Poetry: A Workshop Using Poetry Outdoors as a Form of Therapy
Nikita Thakrar, Mindfulness Mentor and Author of Meditation Through Poetry. - Therapy without walls: Taking Clinical Psychology into nature
Dr Elizabeth Burnside and Dr Mary-Anne Pasteur, Mind and Mountain Psychology CIC. - Using Video Interaction Guidance in the Outdoors to strengthen interpersonal relationships by increasing child and care giver attunement
Jonathon Boulton, Oxfordshire County Council. - CAMHS into the wild: Going beyond the clinic using the nature well program in Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Carl Dutton, Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust CAMHS - Leaf Burial, Birch Brooms and New Beginnings: An Experiential Journey into The Natural Cycles of Growth and Change by The School of Environmental Arts Therapy
Lydia Boon & Anna Lichtensteiger, The Green House (a specialist support service for children, young people and families who have experienced sexual abuse) - How to create a secure base in nature for clients who have insecure attachments
Laura Bassingthwaighte. - Reach, Reflect, Restore: Therapeutic Bouldering for Mind and Body
Andy Cross and Jess Eatwell, ClimbWell CIC. - Exploring Somatic Motion in Nature – A Walking and Pilates Movement Practice for Embodied Presence and Calm
Sarah Grocutt. - The Adventure Toolkit: Tools and inspiration for engagement and practice in adventure therapy
Phillip Stallard, New Wave Adventure Therapy.
A range of indoor presentations include:
- Walking the Talk: Integrating Walk and Talk Therapy into Psychological Practice
Dr Hannah Prince-Llewellyn, Be Curious Psychology. - Mind Over Mountains: The Evidence for Green Social Prescribing
Dr Robynne Wadsworth & Ian Sansbury, Mind Over Mountains. - Nature-Based Creative Therapy Group for Adolescents Impacted by Sexual Abuse.
Lydia Boon & Anna Lichtensteiger, The Green House. - Access Adventure – a Journey of Alternative Provision
Dr Sara Mela, Hampshire Outdoors, Hampshire County Council. - An autoethnographic study: what motivated me, as a psychodynamic therapist, to take therapy outdoors – and how has doing so shaped my internal world, identity and practice as a therapist?
Anne Margaret Thompson - The Firebird Project: Promoting Resilience Through Outdoor Adventure a Feasibility Study
Rebecca Pearson et al., Edge Hill University. - Meeting Young People Where They Are: Outdoor Therapy in Action for Those Who Struggle to Access Traditional Support
Hannah Broughton and Jamie Caspian, The Therapy Adventure. - Drawing on therapeutic models to enhance outdoors practice
Dr David Fong, Clinical Psychologist - Echoes of Adventure: How Young Adults Transfer Life Skills and Well-being from the Outdoors
María José Treviño González & Lymarie Rodríguez-Morales, University of Wales Trinity Saint David - Enhancing Family Relationships through Integrated Outdoor Therapy
Roger Hiley, Oxfordshire County Council - Supporting Men: Why We Need to Do Things Differently - Walk and Talk Therapy
Stephen Hall, Stand Tall Therapy - Mind Over Mountains: The Evidence for Green Social Prescribing
Dr Robynne Wadsworth & Ian Sansbury, Mind Over Mountains - Nature-Based Creative Therapy Group for Adolescents Impacted by Sexual Abuse.
Lydia Boon & Anna Lichtensteiger, The Green House
The conference will also host a special virtual book launch presentation where you will meet the authors of a new upcoming outdoor therapy publication titled:
‘Individual adventure psychotherapy: An experiential approach to one-on-one treatment’.
Please visit here for information on costs, bookings and accommodation options.